Vatican City, Aug 31, 2015 / 07:37 pm (CNA).- Pope Francis on Monday took part in a virtual audience with a group of Americans, less than a month before his historic trip to the United States. The event was hosted by ABC News, which made the announcement of the audience Aug. 31. It will air on ABC News’ "20/20" at 10:00 p.m. ET Sept. 4 and will be posted online in English and Spanish. Next month, the Pope will travel to Washington, D.C., New York, and Philadelphia. He will meet with U.S. President Barack Obama, address the United States Congress and the United Nations, and attend the World Meeting of Families, among other events. The virtual audience allowed the Pope to talk via satellite with people from parts of the country that he will not physically visit on his trip – students at a Chicago inner city school, parishioners from a border town in Texas, and homeless men and women in Los Angeles, according to ABC. The network released a preview clip of the Pope addressing Americans. “For me, it is very important to meet with all of you, the citizens of the United States, who have your history, your culture, your virtues, your joys, your sadness, your problems, like everyone else,” the Holy Father said, adding that “this trip is important for me to draw close to you in your path, your history.”   Read more

Vatican City, Aug 31, 2015 / 05:00 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- On Sunday, Pope Francis urged Catholic legislators to be protectors of human life, calling them to “be strong” against a throw-away culture marked by Christian persecution, and the rejection of the unborn and migrants. The pontiff made these remarks during an audience with the International Catholic Legislators Network. During the meeting, members of the Network presented the Holy Father with a document outlining their commitment to promoting life in their respective nations, especially in areas of abortion, Christian persecution, and migration. U.S. Representative Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.), a member of the Network present at the August 30 audience, told EWTN News Nightly how the Pope concluded the audience with off-the-cuff remarks about the “throw-away culture where the unborn child, the migrant is not wanted.” “He also told us to be strong,” Fortenberry said. The working document presented to Pope Francis outlines their commitment “to go deeper on the issues of protecting human life,” the Nebraska lawmaker later told CNA. Among these issues are the persecution and “genocide” of Christians, along with its implications in international law. Another issue raised was the migration crisis, and Europe's inability to coordinate efforts to help those escaping persecution and poverty, while addressing those who enter the continent seeking to recolonize it “in the name of Islam.” The African voice, in particular, has gained significance in the fight to defend life and family values, Fortenberry said. He explained that the working document presented to the Pope articulates the Network's intent to organize a conference on life issues in Africa. “The African experience of Church and community has its own dynamics and culture,” the congressman said. “The particular situation they find themselves in is more trying to fight the assaults on human dignity and human family that are being imposed upon them by the West.” “Values from the West,” he continued, “which are undermining family life, and attacking marriage,” by means including population control through abortion. The people of Africa, however, are largely resisting these efforts, Fortenberry said. “It’s not part of their culture. It’s not natural to them. And, of course, the faith re-enforces that.” As part of the developing world, African countries have long endured the effects of colonization, neo-colonization, and globalization. “There are benefits to that in terms of smart development... empowering people to move out of poverty, he said. “But, there is also strong baggage with that: And that means values from the West which are undermining family life, and attacking marriage.” After presenting the document to Pope Francis, the African delegation broke into an African version of the Hallelujah, Fortenberry recounted. “There’s a vibrancy of the faith there, there’s a strong set of vocations coming from there, which is a sign of healthiness in the Church, there is a commitment by – I hope – a growing number of public officials to stand strong, and it’s encouraging to me.” “That’s one of the real joys,” he said: “to see African brothers and sisters coming there to be strengthened, to tell us their perspective, and help us rebuild a better just and good society.” The International Catholic Legislators Network is a group founded by Archbishop of Vienna Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, and member of the British House of Lords David Alton, which meets annually in Rome.   Read more

Vatican City, Aug 30, 2015 / 10:37 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The World Meeting of Families event next month in Philadelphia aims to lead families to know their importance as a gift from God and to help them open their hearts to Jesus Christ, a priest involved in the event has said. The family “is the place where we feel most loved, most protected, most safe, valued,” Father William Donovan, one of the meeting’s main organizers, told CNA. “In the natural economy of things, one could say after the gift of life itself, the second greatest gift God has given us is family.” “The reason is because, once God gives us life, he also wants us to have a full life. He wants us to be loved, to be protected, to be safe, to be secure, to be valued,” said the Archdiocese of Philadelphia priest who also serves as Archbishop Charles Chaput’s liaison to the Pontifical Council for the Family.   This year's World Meeting of Families will take place from September 22-27 with the theme “Love is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive.” Its closing Mass with Pope Francis will mark the end of his first visit to the United States. The meeting also includes presentations, testimonies, and other events. “The idea is that we want to try to bring as many resources and assistance to the human family so that they can understand and execute its role as a place of love,” said Fr. Donovan. Pope John Paul II founded the international event in 1994 to encourage families and to strengthen familial bonds. The event takes place every three years in a different city around the world. Fr. Donovan said the event is a celebration of “the importance, the nature, the dignity, (and) the beauty of the family.” He added that the international gathering brings together pastoral resources on the family that participants can bring back to their respective countries and dioceses. One of the tasks involved in promoting the World Meeting of Families was in spreading awareness, Fr. Donovan said. Although the event has been taking place for more than twenty years, many Americans were unaware of it. “Of course, with the Holy Father`s coming, and that brings a great attention to it,” he said. “And, of course, the Holy Father is part of a long tradition. He represents Jesus Christ as the vicar of Christ, so his message will be full of hope, and joy.” Observing the particular care which Pope Francis has shown to the family since the beginning of his papacy, Fr. Donovan recalled in particular the image of the family being the first school, the first Church, and – especially – the first hospital. “This image is particularly captivating because when we talk about the families as being the first hospital, we talked about wounds, or weakness,” he said. “The Holy Father is interested in attending particularly to the wounds and weaknesses of the human family.” The weeklong World Meeting of Families will be divided into three parts: an international congress from September 22-25, consisting of presentations by experts on the family; an artistic festival with Pope Francis, which will include testimonies by one family from each continent; and finally, outdoor Mass on Sunday in Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Parkway. “Perhaps one can say that the human mind is nourished by the Congress, the human heart will be nurtured by the cultural celebration and the spirit will be nurtured by the Mass,” Fr. Donovan said. The priest said meeting organizers wanted the selection of speakers to showcase both the uniqueness of individuals and the shared experience which being part of a family brings. “Just like each person is a unique gift of God -- but there is something common in the human experience that we can all share about the dignity of a human person -- the same thing is with the family,” he said.   Fr. Donovan added that organizers wanted the speakers to convey how “every family is a unique and irreproducible gift of God, but there’s something common to all families.” Any man and woman of goodwill, both from within and outside the Church, “can participate in the importance and the dignity of the family,” he said. However, the primary aim of the organizers is to lead families closer to Christ. “It would be wonderful if each person can take away something that makes him or her a better person, and improves their family: opening their minds and hearts to Christ will improve themselves and their families,” the priest said. “This is our hope: to bring greater happiness, greater peace, greater security, and salvation, to our families.” This year's World Meeting of Families will be the eighth of its kind, and the first to take place in the United States. The last World Meeting of Families was held in Milan in 2012. The event takes place just weeks ahead of the Synod on the Family on Oct. 4-25. Its focus will be the theme: “The vocation and mission of the family in the Church and the modern world.” Read more

Vatican City, Aug 30, 2015 / 10:37 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The World Meeting of Families event next month in Philadelphia aims to lead families to know their importance as a gift from God and to help them open their hearts to Jesus Christ, a priest involved in the event has said. The family “is the place where we feel most loved, most protected, most safe, valued,” Father William Donovan, one of the meeting’s main organizers, told CNA. “In the natural economy of things, one could say after the gift of life itself, the second greatest gift God has given us is family.” “The reason is because, once God gives us life, he also wants us to have a full life. He wants us to be loved, to be protected, to be safe, to be secure, to be valued,” said the Archdiocese of Philadelphia priest who also serves as Archbishop Charles Chaput’s liaison to the Pontifical Council for the Family.   This year's World Meeting of Families will take place from September 22-27 with the theme “Love is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive.” Its closing Mass with Pope Francis will mark the end of his first visit to the United States. The meeting also includes presentations, testimonies, and other events. “The idea is that we want to try to bring as many resources and assistance to the human family so that they can understand and execute its role as a place of love,” said Fr. Donovan. Pope John Paul II founded the international event in 1994 to encourage families and to strengthen familial bonds. The event takes place every three years in a different city around the world. Fr. Donovan said the event is a celebration of “the importance, the nature, the dignity, (and) the beauty of the family.” He added that the international gathering brings together pastoral resources on the family that participants can bring back to their respective countries and dioceses. One of the tasks involved in promoting the World Meeting of Families was in spreading awareness, Fr. Donovan said. Although the event has been taking place for more than twenty years, many Americans were unaware of it. “Of course, with the Holy Father`s coming, and that brings a great attention to it,” he said. “And, of course, the Holy Father is part of a long tradition. He represents Jesus Christ as the vicar of Christ, so his message will be full of hope, and joy.” Observing the particular care which Pope Francis has shown to the family since the beginning of his papacy, Fr. Donovan recalled in particular the image of the family being the first school, the first Church, and – especially – the first hospital. “This image is particularly captivating because when we talk about the families as being the first hospital, we talked about wounds, or weakness,” he said. “The Holy Father is interested in attending particularly to the wounds and weaknesses of the human family.” The weeklong World Meeting of Families will be divided into three parts: an international congress from September 22-25, consisting of presentations by experts on the family; an artistic festival with Pope Francis, which will include testimonies by one family from each continent; and finally, outdoor Mass on Sunday in Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Parkway. “Perhaps one can say that the human mind is nourished by the Congress, the human heart will be nurtured by the cultural celebration and the spirit will be nurtured by the Mass,” Fr. Donovan said. The priest said meeting organizers wanted the selection of speakers to showcase both the uniqueness of individuals and the shared experience which being part of a family brings. “Just like each person is a unique gift of God -- but there is something common in the human experience that we can all share about the dignity of a human person -- the same thing is with the family,” he said.   Fr. Donovan added that organizers wanted the speakers to convey how “every family is a unique and irreproducible gift of God, but there’s something common to all families.” Any man and woman of goodwill, both from within and outside the Church, “can participate in the importance and the dignity of the family,” he said. However, the primary aim of the organizers is to lead families closer to Christ. “It would be wonderful if each person can take away something that makes him or her a better person, and improves their family: opening their minds and hearts to Christ will improve themselves and their families,” the priest said. “This is our hope: to bring greater happiness, greater peace, greater security, and salvation, to our families.” This year's World Meeting of Families will be the eighth of its kind, and the first to take place in the United States. The last World Meeting of Families was held in Milan in 2012. The event takes place just weeks ahead of the Synod on the Family on Oct. 4-25. Its focus will be the theme: “The vocation and mission of the family in the Church and the modern world.” Read more

Vatican City, Aug 30, 2015 / 07:07 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his Sunday Angelus address Pope Francis said that merely obeying the rules isn’t enough to make us holy, but that if we truly want to serve God our conversion has to be deeper, changing the heart. “It's not exterior things which make us holy or not holy, but it's the heart that expresses our intentions, our choices and the desire to do everything out of love for God,” the Pope told pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square Aug. 30. “External attitudes are the consequence of what we have decided in the heart, not the contrary: with external attitudes, if the heart doesn't change, we aren't true Christians.” Pope Francis based his reflections on the day’s Gospel reading from Mark, in which the scribes and Pharisees criticized Jesus and his disciples for not following the tradition of “purifying” themselves by washing their hands before meals or when coming from the market. Jesus’ response that “you disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition” has a strong prophetic tone that fills us with admiration for him, the Pope said. “We feel that in him there is truth and that his wisdom frees us from prejudice,” he noted, but cautioned that Jesus’ words aren’t aimed for just the Pharisees, but are also meant to put us on guard. With these words Jesus warns against the belief that a simple external observance of the law is enough to be considered a good Christian, he said. “As then with the Pharisees, there is also the danger for us to consider ourselves good, or better than others based on the simple fact that we obey the rules, the customs, even if we don't love our neighbor, we are hard of heart, superior and proud,” Francis observed. The literal observance of the rules is “sterile” unless the heart also changes in a visible way, seen through concrete attitudes such as being open to an encounter with God and his word, pursuing justice and peace, and helping the poor, the weak and the oppressed, he continued. Francis said that that the harm done to the Church by “those people who say they are very Catholic and go to church often, but after, in their daily lives, within the family, talk badly about others,” is well-known within our communities, parishes and neighborhoods.  This, he said, “is what Jesus condemns, because this is a counter-Christian witness.” Pope Francis then pointed to Jesus’ declaration in the Gospel passage that “nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile,” saying his words signal a deeper aspect of Christian life. What Jesus underlines is the “primacy of interiority, of the heart,” the Pope noted, adding that the line between good and evil doesn't pass outside of us, “but within us.” Francis then encouraged attendees to question themselves on their own internal state by asking where their heart is at. Jesus, he noted, “said that your treasure is where your heart is. What is my treasure? Is it Jesus and his doctrine?” “The heart must be purified and converted,” the Pope continued, adding that without a pure heart, “you can't truly have clean hands and lips which speak sincere words of love, mercy and forgiveness. Only a sincere and pure heart is able to do this.” Pope Francis concluded his speech by praying that Mary would intercede in helping to obtain for them “a clean heart, free from every hypocrisy.” After leading pilgrims in the traditional Marian prayer, the Pope drew attention to the beatification of Syro-Catholic bishop Flavien-Michel Malké, who was killed in 1915 amid the Ottoman Empire's genocide against its Christian minorities. The bishop was declared “Blessed” yesterday during a special liturgy celebrated by Ignatius Youssef III Younan, Syriac Patriarch of Antioch, at the convent of Our Lady of Deliverance in Harissa, Lebanon. In the context of a brutal persecution against Christians, the bishop “was a tireless defender of the rights of his people, urging all to remain firm in the faith,” the Pope said, noting how even today Christians are still persecuted worldwide. Bishop Malké’s beatification inspired “consolation, courage and hope” in those who suffer because of their faith, he said. He expressed his desire that the beatification would serve as “a stimulus for legislators and government leaders, so that religious freedom is ensured everywhere, and for the international community, that it put an end to violence and abuse.” Pope Francis officially approved of Bishop Malké’s martyrdom during an Aug. 8 meeting with Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. His beatification fell on the 100th anniversary of his martyrdom. Read more

Vatican City, Aug 30, 2015 / 04:51 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his Sunday Angelus address Pope Francis lamented the death of 71 migrants – mostly from war-torn Syria – whose bodies were found in an abandoned truck on an Austrian highway. He off... Read more

Vatican City, Aug 29, 2015 / 10:48 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Initial autopsy findings indicate that disgraced former apostolic nuncio Jozef Wesolowski died of natural causes from a “cardiac event,” the Vatican announced Saturday. The laicized archbishop was awaiting trial by the Vatican court for possessing child pornography and sexual abuse of minors when he died late Thursday evening at the age of 67. Wesolowski's death prompted the Office of the Vatican’s Promoter of Justice, also known as the Vatican prosecutor, to order an autopsy.. According to a Vatican statement released Aug. 29, the autopsy was conducted Friday afternoon. Based on “preliminary conclusions from the macroscopic exam,” the autopsy “confirmed the natural cause of death, attributable to a cardiac event,” the statement said. The Office of the Promoter of Justice anticipates receiving additional results from laboratory examinations. Prof. Giovanni Arcudi, Professor of Forensic Medicine at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, was appointed to coordinate the three experts conducting the autopsy. Wesoleski was awaiting a criminal trial in Vatican City on charges of pornography and pedophilic acts. In 2013 the then-archbishop faced allegations of sexual misconduct and he resigned as apostolic nuncio to the Dominican Republic. A 13-year-old boy alleged that Wesolowski had solicited him for sexual favors in exchange for money. The archbishop faced a canonical trial in a tribunal of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In 2014, the tribunal found him guilty of sexual abuse and subjected him to laicization, which meant he was unable to celebrate the sacraments.   Read more